Man arrested in connection with incident on Southchurch Road

Essex Police were called to an incident involving a group of people at around 1.40am today (Sunday October 6).

Officers attended and a man was arrested less than an hour later.

Shocked residents said they saw a man “walking around with a huge knife.”

Residents shocked after violent incident (Image: From video material)Footage taken by a citizen shows a group of about ten young men dressed all in black fighting another young man, stomping on him and throwing objects in the middle of the street, blocking traffic.

Screams and shouts from passers-by who tried to break up the fight can also be heard in the recordings.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and affray.

“He is currently in custody.”

York Road's Vince Godwin said: “From what I heard about this story, it was about the public feeling they needed to take matters into their own hands.”

“They didn't have time to call the police and people decided to take action even though they knew there were no police around.

“This town is starting to have a Wild West feel and we need police presence around the clock, especially on weekends.

“At the end of the day, no one would be waving knives around in public if the police were there.

“I can’t say I feel safe on the streets of Southend anymore – maybe 5 to 10 years ago, but a lot has changed and everyone sees it.”

Police say the investigation is ongoing and are appealing to the public for information and footage, including surveillance cameras and dashcams.

Essex Police are appealing for residents to contact them quoting incident 117 of October 6.